Berlin map: Borders

Theme: Borders
Location: Remains throughout city, map pin at Niederkirchnerstraße, 10117 Mitte

Jupiter Images The history of the Berlin Wall gives a detailed insight into processes, driving forces and political constellations in German history that shaped this city. There is more to the wall than the prevalent view promoted in many post-war movies.

Find out about individual fates that are closely connected to this structure, and discover the importance of the fall of the wall for German citizens on both sides of the 'iron curtain'.

Looking at this feature of Berlin also highlights the outcomes of World War II and their consequences for Berliners. The areas that once divided the city have now become important links between the East and the West.

[Image: © 2008 Jupiterimages Corporation]

Useful links

• Retracing the Berlin Wall
• The Wall inside the city
• Newseum: The Berlin Wall
• Mauer Museum
• Officials erase historic Berlin Wall mural
• The rise and fall of Berlin's East Side Gallery
• The Secret Life of the Berlin Wall
• The Berlin Wall: The tale of a city divided

Theme: Borders
Location: Unter den Linden, 10117 Berlin

Jupiter Images Explore why this world-famous structure has become a symbol of many historical periods, and of the highs and lows of life in Germany.

The events surrounding the Brandenburger Tor range from the heights of Prussian power to the defeat by Napoleon and the division during the 'Cold War'. At the same time, many people associate very happy memories with this landmark, like the fall of the Berlin Wall or big street parties, such as the Love Parade in the 1990s. You will also come across answers to the question of what this sight stands for today.

[Image: © 2008 Jupiterimages Corporation]

Useful links

• Brandenburger Tor
• 1989 Brandenburg Gate re-opens
• The Death of Dance?
• The Brandenburg Gate history

Theme: Borders
Location: Stadtmauer, Waisenstraße, Mitte, 10179 Berlin

Creative Commons Image ElkeWetzig under CC-BY-SA licence Berlin also houses the remains of another wall: the old city wall. This structure, first built around 1250, allows you an insight into the fast growth and development of Berlin, from a provincial medieval capital to the international hub of the 1920s. The remains of the medieval wall run along Waisenstraße, in the district of Mitte, and the ramparts still create a genuine old city touch that is otherwise difficult to find in Berlin.

The most atmospheric part of the wall is located close to the Parochialkirche, where several medieval houses back onto it. One of these buildings houses Berlin's oldest restaurant, 'Zur letzten Instanz', where Napoleon and Gorbatchev, among others, are said to have stopped for a bite to eat.

[Image: Elke Wetzig on Wikimedia]

Useful links

• Berlin city wall remains at Waisenstraße/Littenstraße
• Stadtmauer

Theme: Borders
Location: Stasi Museum, Ruschestr. 103, Haus 1, 10365 Berlin

Creative Commons Image Nikisublime via Flickr This tourist attraction represents a 'border' of a very different kind: one between people in support of the ruling party and those who were not.

During the times of the communist regime in East Germany, the prison Hohenschönhausen was a top-security prison for political prisoners from the GDR, as well as abroad. The notoriously inhumane detention centre was run by the GDR Ministry of State Security.

Today it has been turned into a multi-functional institution that houses: the prison museum (where former inmates lead guided tours), an archive that supports academic research into the GDR, and a memorial, exhibition space and events venue.

[Image: Nikisublime on flickr]

Useful links

• Gedenkstätte: memorial news
• Ulbricht's prisoners